It looked like Notts County would be heading for a replay at Oxford City, but there is something about Kevin Nolan’s men which means they go right to the end.

Having led twice on home soil, their plucky non-league opponents thought they’d be taking the League Two promotion chasers back to Marsh Lane, until the 94th minute as Jorge Grant dragged Notts into the FA Cup third round with a goal to secure a dramatic 3-2 win.

Goals from Richard Duffy and Jon Stead’s penalty were cancelled out by Oxford, 19th in National League South, who through Rob Sinclair and Matt Paterson looked to be earning a thoroughly deserved replay until Grant smashed home the ball after Jack Stevens could only push out Jonathan Forte’s flicked header.

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Notts welcomed back Stead after the striker missed the win over Colchester United a week ago, having taken a heavy knock at Yeovil, though Shola Ameobi missed out with Stead the only change against the non-league outfit.

Richard Duffy makes it 1-0 to Notts (Image: Mark Fear)

Things started brightly enough before tailing off after 10 minutes or so, and it was the visitors who were almost in front through the hero of the last round, Paterson, who headed just wide of Ross Fitzsimons’ goal under pressure from Duffy after a spell of pressure from their first corner.

Just as the Notts crowd were starting to get frustrated, the home side hit the front just after the half hour in scrappy fashion, not that Duffy will care.

After Stead had seen an acrobatic effort palmed round for a corner, Duffy was on hand to turn into the net past Stevens, who really should have made a better fist of keeping the ball out of his net.

Richard Duffy celebrates his goal (Image: Mark Fear)

The game was turned on its head eight minutes into the second half when City pulled themselves level courtesy of Sinclair’s deflected finish, which came moments after Stead had almost fired Notts two ahead, but saw his effort come back off a post.

In a stunning opening to the second half, the Magpies were back in front after three minutes from the penalty spot when Terry Hawkridge was too quick for Freddie Grant. He turned the defender inside the box and he felled the winger.

Stead, from the spot, sent Stevens the wrong way to restore the lead for Nolan’s men though that was almost cut again when Paterson sent a curling drive agonisingly wide of Fitzsimons’ far post.

Jon Stead celebrates making it 2-1 (Image: Mark Fear)

They were level though, with 17 minutes remaining after Zac McEachran’s lovely ball into the box picked Paterson out, and he turned it past Fitzsimons and above Duffy’s despairing dive.

You’d be hard pushed to say that the side from non-league didn’t deserve that leveller for their supreme efforts throughout.

Substitute Jonathan Forte should have scored late on but missed Hawkridge’s lovely cut back.

The striker then had a big hand in the dramatic late winner.

His header from Hawkridge’s cross brought a good save from Stevens, who could only bat it into the path of Grant at the back post and from two yards he sent Notts into round three.